AQT begins producing CIGS solar cells at new facility

PITTSBURGH (Asian Metal) 18 Aug 10 – Santa Clara, California-based solar cell manufacturer Applied Quantum Technologies (AQT) began production on its new CIGS manufacturing facility this week as it began to fulfill customer orders.

AQT received funding of approximately USD10 million in April, who turned an old hard-drive manufacturing plant into a high-tech thin film production facility in just over two months. The facility has a total production capacity of 15 megawatts per year.

AQT has announced that its first customer is Sol Pacifico, a high-end travel resort in Baja Mexico, for a two megawatt installation. The company additionally has orders for a further 20 megawatts of installations.

"We have set aggressive production goals for the remainder of 2010 and beyond and are excited to kick it off in California, the heart of the solar industry," AQT CEO Michael Bartholomeusz said in a public statement.

CIGS thin-film solar cells are still behind polysilicon-based cells in terms of both cost and efficiency, but have made rapid gains in the past year alone. Most market participants expect CIGS technology to not fully take off until 2011 at the earliest when the technology can be perfected on a commercial level.Asian Metal Copyright Most market participants expect CIGS technology to not fully take off until 2011 at the earliest when the technology can be perfected on a commercial level.Asian Metal Copyright Leading crystalline solar cell manufacturers are able to achieve actual efficiencies of nearly 20% while CIGS has reached 10-11% on average.

With more CIGS panels being produced, a further tightening of the indium and gallium markets in the US could be expected. Actual consumption of indium in CIGS solar cells, however, is estimated at only around 40-50t/y or approximately 10% of total world indium production.